About the C&O Canal Trust
The C&O Canal Trust was founded in 2007 as the official philanthropic partner of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Since then, the Trust has grown to meet the growing needs of the Park, engaging and garnering support from members of our canal community in the process. For 17 years, through the generosity of individuals, foundations, and community partners, the Trust has been instrumental in providing essential funding for conservation efforts, infrastructure improvements, educational programs, and visitor resources throughout the Park. The Trust has directly granted over $1.5 million to the Park to date, and we are committed to offering increasingly robust support for this vital resource.
Our Mission: The C&O Canal Trust, as the official nonprofit partner of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, works in partnership with the National Park Service and local communities to raise funds to preserve the Park for future generations and to broaden support through programs that highlight the Park’s historical, natural, and cultural heritage and recreational opportunities.
The C&O Canal Trust is committed to embracing the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion in its work.
The C&O Canal National Historical Park (NHP) ranks as the highest-visited historical park within the National Park System and is considered one of the nation’s most popular parks out of over 400 parks in the system, welcoming five million visitors each year. The C&O Canal Trust works in partnership with the C&O Canal NHP to raise critical funds and resources to support maintenance and visitor programs in the Park.
We raise funds for three initiatives:
We manage the following programs:
The C&O Canal Trust is a 501(c)(3) organization, and as such, all donations are tax-deductible. We need your financial support to continue to preserve our Park!
Top image by Charles Kim
